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⚖ Divine Council Series • Module 06

Idols: Real or Imaginary?

Paul drops a bombshell: other gods are real — but only one deserves your worship.

A man examines a glowing gold idol of Ba’al as a luminous spirit materializes from it

Before we look at what the Bible has to say about idols, what is your initial guess on what idols were? Do you think there were real spirits associated with them or do you think those spirits were something people made up?

1 Corinthians 8:4–6 — A Letter from Paul

Watch what Paul wrote — and how one church member reacted when he first read it.

Paul’s Letter: 1 Corinthians 8 — 16-Bit Biblical Drama game cover
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1 Corinthians 8:4–6

1 Corinthians 8:4–6 (World English Bible)

[4] Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that no idol is anything in the world, and that there is no other God but one. [5] For though there are things that are called “gods,” whether in the heavens or on earth; as there are many “gods” and many “lords”; [6] yet to us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we exist for him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we exist through him.

Also read in: BSB  ·  ESV  ·  NIV  ·  NLT  ·  NASB

All links open Bible Gateway in a new tab.

1 What stuck out to you about what Paul wrote? Did anything surprise you?
Aaroneous and the Idol

Some background is needed to understand this passage. Play the interactive cutscene below to learn about idols.

The Idol: Real or Imaginary? — 16-Bit Interactive Story game cover
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2 When we hear the word ‘idol’ today, we often think of a statue of an imaginary god or something like money, social media, or anything that takes more priority in our lives than God. But Paul and the early church seem to have a different view of what an idol is. To them, there’s a real spiritual entity behind the idol. How does that compare to your understanding of what an idol is?
3 What’s the difference between believing a spiritual being exists and believing it deserves our worship?
4 Paul admits that other spirits (gods) exist, but he also says that they’re powerless compared to God. Ultimately, they answer to Him, and He will deal with them accordingly at some point in the future. How does this help you deal with anxieties about the existence of other spirits that may oppose us?

Key Takeaways

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